The HIV-testing policies of US hospitals

To determine the human immunodeficiency virus-testing policies adopted by US hospitals, we surveyed a stratified random sample of all nonfederal general acute care hospitals, drawn from the American Hospital Association's 1987 database. Interviews were completed with the chief administrator in 561 hospitals (response rate, 78.4%). Two thirds of hospitals have admitted at least one patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and over 83% have formal written policies about human immunodeficiency virus testing. Most contain provisions protecting patients' rights; eg, 78% require pretest informed consent, 66% require a special human immunodeficiency virus-testing consent form, and 75% require that patients who test seropositive be so informed. Many policies also contain provisions that protect providers; eg, 56% require that test results appear in patients' records, 38% require review of treatment plans when a patient tests seropositive, and 3% require transferring such patients. Hospital characteristics are not strongly associated with the adoption of testing policies.